NAIA Softball Championship
Sport | Softball |
---|---|
Founded | 1981 |
Organising body | National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) |
Southern Oregon (3rd) |
Most titles | Oklahoma City (11) |
TV partner(s) | ESPN3 (Semifinals and national championship only) |
Streaming partner(s) | NAIA Network (First round, quarterfinals), ESPN+ (Semifinals and national championship only) |
Official website | NAIA.com |
The NAIA Softball Championship, referred to as the NAIA Softball World Series, is the annual tournament to determine the national champions of NAIA collegiate softball in the United States and formerly in Canada. It has been held annually since 1981. The South Commons Complex Sports Complex in Columbus, Georgia is the most recent host, having hosted the tournament in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The reigning national champions are Southern Oregon, who won their third national title in 2023.
Oklahoma City is the winningest program, with eleven NAIA championship titles.
Results
NAIA Softball World Series | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Site | Championship match | |||||
Champion | Score | Runner-up | |||||
1981 Details |
Conroe, Texas | Sam Houston State | 1–0 | Emporia State | |||
1982 Details |
Kearney, Nebraska | Missouri Western | 5–0 | St. Francis (IL) | |||
1983 Details |
Emporia State | 9–2 | Kearney State | ||||
1984 Details |
Indianapolis, Indiana | Emporia State (2) | 1–0 | Quincy | |||
1985 Details |
Quincy | 4–2 | Washburn | ||||
1986 Details |
San Antonio, Texas | St. Mary's (TX) | 2–1 (9 innings) | Oklahoma City | |||
1987 Details |
Kearney, Nebraska | Kearney State | 1–0 | Francis Marion | |||
1988 Details |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Pacific Lutheran | 2–0 (10 innings) | Minnesota Duluth | |||
1989 Details |
Midland, Michigan | Saginaw Valley State | 3–0 | Kearney State | |||
1990 Details |
Pensacola, Florida | Kearney State (2) | 6–3 (8 innings) | Pacific Lutheran | |||
1991 Details |
Columbia, Missouri | Hawaii Loa | 5–1 | Puget Sound | |||
1992 Details |
Pensacola, Florida | Pacific Lutheran (2) | 3–2 | Kennesaw State | |||
1993 Details |
Columbia, Missouri | West Florida | 4–2 | Oklahoma City | |||
1994 Details |
Oklahoma City | 3–1 | Athens State | ||||
1995 Details |
Oklahoma City (2) | 3–1 | Puget Sound | ||||
1996 Details |
Decatur, Alabama
Wilson Morgan Softball Complex |
Oklahoma City (3) | 9–1 | Shawnee State | |||
1997 Details |
Oklahoma City (4) | 12–0 | Athens State | ||||
1998 Details |
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Broken Arrow Softball Complex |
Western Washington | 5–1 | Simon Fraser | |||
1999 Details |
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter Softball Park |
Simon Fraser | 7–3 | Oklahoma City | |||
2000 Details |
Decatur, Alabama
Wilson Morgan Softball Complex |
Oklahoma City (5) | 5–1 | Azusa Pacific | |||
2001 Details |
Oklahoma City (6) | 5–3 | Simon Fraser | ||||
2002 Details |
Oklahoma City (7) | 2–1 (8 innings) | Point Loma Nazarene | ||||
2003 Details |
Simon Fraser (2) | 3–1 | Mobile, Alabama | ||||
2004 Details |
Thomas | 5–4 | Simon Fraser | ||||
2005 Details |
Simon Fraser (3) | 7–0 | California Baptist | ||||
2006 Details |
Mobile | 4–1 | California Baptist | ||||
2007 Details |
Oklahoma City (8) | 7–2 | Point Loma Nazarene | ||||
2008 Details |
Lubbock Christian | 2–1 | Mobile, Alabama | ||||
2009 Details |
California Baptist | 3–2 | St. Gregory's | ||||
2010 Details |
Simon Fraser (4) | 4–3 | Oklahoma City | ||||
2011 Details |
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores Sportsplex |
Oregon Tech | 1–0 | California Baptist | |||
2012 Details |
Shorter | 1–0 | Oklahoma City | ||||
2013 Details |
Columbus, Georgia
South Commons Softball Complex |
Concordia Irvine | 8–3 | Spring Hill | |||
2014 Details |
Auburn Montgomery | 10–6* | William Carey | ||||
2015 Details |
Sioux City, Iowa | Auburn Montgomery (2) | 10–0 (6 innings) | Lindsey Wilson | |||
2016 Details |
Oklahoma City (9) | 5–0 | Saint Xavier | ||||
2017 Details |
Clermont, Florida
Legends Way Ball Fields |
Oklahoma City (10) | 4–1 | Corban | |||
2018 Details |
USAO | 4–1 | Columbia (MO) | ||||
2019 Details |
Springfield, Missouri Killian Sports Complex | Southern Oregon | 8–3 | Oklahoma City | |||
2020 Details |
No championship due to the coronavirus pandemic | ||||||
2021 Details |
Columbus, Georgia
South Commons Softball Complex |
Southern Oregon (2) | 3–2 | Oregon Tech | |||
2022 Details |
Oklahoma City (11) | 3–0 | Mobile | ||||
2023
Details |
Southern Oregon (3) | 11-0 (5 innings) | Oregon Tech |
- * = 1st ever "if necessary" game after William Carey came out of losers' bracket to defeat Auburn Montgomery in first championship game of the double-elimination tournament.
Championships
School | Number | Year Won |
---|---|---|
Oklahoma City | 11 | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022 |
Simon Fraser | 4 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2010 |
Southern Oregon | 3 | 2019, 2021, 2023 |
Auburn Montgomery | 2 | 2014, 2015 |
Emporia State | 2 | 1984, 1985 |
Nebraska–Kearney (Kearney State) | 2 | 1987, 1990 |
Pacific Lutheran | 2 | 1988, 1992 |
California Baptist | 1 | 2009 |
Concordia Irvine | 1 | 2013 |
Hawaii Loa | 1 | 1991 |
Lubbock Christian | 1 | 2008 |
Missouri Western | 1 | 1983 |
Mobile | 1 | 2006 |
Oregon Tech | 1 | 2011 |
Quincy | 1 | 1986 |
Saginaw Valley State | 1 | 1989 |
Sam Houston State | 1 | 1982 |
Shorter | 1 | 2012 |
St. Mary's (TX) | 1 | 1986 |
Thomas | 1 | 2004 |
USAO | 1 | 2018 |
West Florida | 1 | 1993 |
Western Washington | 1 | 1998 |
- Schools highlighted in pink are closed or no longer sponsor athletics.
- Schools highlight in yellow have reclassified athletics from the NAIA.
See also
- NCAA Softball Championships (Division I, Division II, Division III)
- Women's College World Series